Leeds United 1 Chelsea 5: match report
Read a full match report of the Capital One Cup game between Leeds United and Chelsea at Elland Road on Wednesday Dec 19, 2012.
Perhaps the Stamford Bridge trophy cabinet is not in danger of gathering cobwebs after all, as Chelsea overcame jetlag and the prospect of further turbulence against one of their oldest and most bitter rivals.
Neil Warnock may never get the chance to exact revenge on his nemesis Rafael Benítez again after a typically absorbing cup tie in one of English football’s most famous theatres, with five goals in the second half easing the pressure on Chelsea’s unpopular manager.
Days after defeat in the Fifa Club World Cup, exiting this competition to a Championship club would only have increased the levels of disdain towards Roberto Di Matteo’s unwanted successor but this was a welcome sign that their season may not be over yet.
Fernando Torres also claimed his sixth goal in five games to provide a hint that he could be approaching a new chapter in his troubled Chelsea career.